Just three months after ABS CBN was shuttered – with a new studio and a new set of people, despite few – Regional News Group – Luzon started airing.
It was far from the one Dhobie de Guzman was used to – A very much smaller studio, a lean, but mean, staff, some of them former ABS CBN employees, who would find airtime on Facebook Live.
December 2 of last year was the day when de Guzman finally got on air again, doing the things he has done on the country’s biggest news network which was closed due to a disagreement with a president who vehemently denied that he a hand in shutting down the TV company.
“One year na kami,” cried de Guzman, as he thanked the more than 56,000 netizens for patronizing RNG Luzon as he said: “Thank you very much for the trust and support for the past year.”
Singer and former TV actor Benj Cruz wrote: “Happy happy 1st year to you my hard working and noble batch mate. You, the staff of RNG Luzon…, gives joy and unparalleled public service to us here in Baguio and Luzon. Maraming Maraming salamat.”
Cruz and de Guzman went to the University of the Cordilleras.
The former ABS CBN anchor for 17 years vowed that RNG Luzon staff “will continue to deliver true and meaningful news and information.”
Beside RNG’s newscast, it also has talk shows like the one hosted by former Youth Rep. Edgar Avila, radio broadcaster Peter Wasing, Itanong kay Doc. Jose by physician Dr. Jose Ursua, the Paul Baldoza and Shekinah Cudao hosted Morning Balitaktakan and very recently the Promdi party list hosted Basta Promdi, Lodi and with former ABS CBN broadcaster Ces Drilon.
In less than one year RNG Luzon has introduced a mobile studio, a mini-bus outfitted with a studio where interviews can be held.
“This could be the only one in the Philippines. I go around the Philippines and this is the first time I see a mobile interview room like this,” said Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian during de Guzman’s Hot Spot interview with the senator aired Monday.
To which de Guzman responded that the senator is the “buena mano” (lucky first one). De Guzman, who joined ABS CBN in February 3, 2003 after nearly five years with Mountainview (NorthComm), said that there will be more interviews to be held at the mobile studio in the future.
De Guzman said that the future is bright with RNG Luzon as he tries to give it more meat by having more personnel and be competitive with other news outfits.
“We need to introduce more innovations, but then we need to beef up our staff. Kulang pa (it is not enough yet),” he added.
The foundation has been placed and slowly RNG Luzon like a house is taking shape and ready to be one of the top media outfits in Northern Luzon.
De Guzman said that RNG Luzon would soon be aired live on free television after a tower is completed and a studio that could approximate the one where he used to air the freshest stories from the North Luzon area.
